Pajama Party

V had an industry event to go to tonight, so she fed and readied the kids for bed and I came home early and took over while she went out.
It quickly became apparent that the kids were nowhere near ready to go to sleep. It was just 6:15 after all. So, I proposed we take a little walk with them in their pjs.  I might have even promised a little treat if they were very cooperative. They were!
We strolled several blocks (Sawyer ran mostly) and one of us rolled around on the ground a little. Then we headed to our frozen yogurt place where we all split a kids size strawberry mint yogurt with granola topping. Just right!
After that, bedtime was a breeze.
I love these kids!

A particularly busy day!

Saturday was a very busy day. Mommy had a class in Manhattan so the kids and I set out for adventure in Brooklyn. 

We started by going to singalong at CBE.

Then we took a bus down to Industry City where we met up with Theo M. and his family and another family for lunch and a concert. 

Sadie and Theo had their own little lunch date at their own table. 

The kids loved running around the giant cement halls at IC. Sawyer was especially delighted to be off the leash and ran wild before passing out in his stroller. 

The concert was outdoors in a plaza between the IC buildings. It was a Madonna tribute show for kids - a fun band playing Madge's greatest hits while kids ran around with hula hoops and colorful steamers and noisy shakers. It was great fun.

Sawyer slept through half the show, but awoke in time to play some cornhole and then get ensorcelled by the Madonna stand-in singer.

After the show, the kids had ice cream and did some Olympic quality pommel horsing. 

Then we took another bus back to Park Slope. By this time, mommy was back and she met us at a friend's block party where the kids squoze out their last bit of crazy energy.
It was a very very busy day!

Sadie Frog!

It turns out, Sadie is a frog and she eats bugs! 

No big deal. 

Another Block Party!

The weather turned back to hot and humid this weekend. The kids didn't seem to mind though. On Saturday, there was a big block party on 2nd Street where some of our friends live. So, when Sawyer went down for his nap around noon, Sadie and I headed over there to see what was what. 

It was, by far, the best block party we have been to. There were tons of kids, three bouncy houses (one for big Kids like Sadie, one for little kids and one for very little kids), a magician, a raffle, beer, pizza and face painting! 

Sadie went straight for the face painting. Over the course of the day, she had her face painted by adults twice and then took matters into her own hands. She also spent the better part of the afternoon in the bouncy house. 

Happily, the same friends who invited us invited most of Sadie's preschool class so it was a big reunion. Those kids really like each other. 

Mommy and Sawyer joined us later in the afternoon after a very long nap. 

By the end of the day, we were all whooped. Sadie spent 5 hours in constant motion and she was delirious. Sawyer could have kept going but he was pooped too.

Mommy and papa were done.

What a long day. 

Oh, and we won two prizes in the raffle! (Gift certificates to local businesses we like).

YAY FOR OUR BUSY DAY! 

Sadie GIF

Here's a little animation I made for and about Sadie. It might not work on this blog. 

Bar Harbor 2017 - Part VIII - The Drive Home - Waterford!

Happily for all of us, there were still more great things to do and great people to visit in Maine!  So, on Sunday morning, we got up, packed up and headed on down the road to Waterford to visit Grandpa Bill.

No visit to Grandpa Bill's house is complete without a walk out to the brook in his backyard, so there we went.  The kids got to see where their mommy grew up clambering about the rocks and eating frogs and crickets (or whatever it is that mommy got up to in her sylvan childhood).

We discovered on this trip that Sawyer really really likes the outdoors.  He was constantly investigating little bits of nature and critters and sticks and rocks and everything.  He is becoming a little outdoorsman!

And then, the most amazing thing happened!  Grandpa Bill offered to take us out and show us his fields and farm equipment.  The kids couldn't have been more excited! (And Papa was pretty thrilled too.)

Sadie and Papa rode in the back of the Ranger while Mommy and Sawyer rode up front with Grandpa.  I was glad for the opportunity to ride in the back of something and I realized that, unless we take greater care, these kids could almost grow up without ever enjoying bumpy rides with no seatbelts in the back of pickups and station wagons like we had.

And then, we turned a corner and Grandpa Bill made magic happen!  He showed us his very own tractor.  After a year of pointing at tractors and yelling "takta" at every road work site in NYC, Sawyer got to climb and sit in a tractor himself and play like a real tractor guy.  He was delighted.  It's in his blood!!

And, lest there be any doubt, Sadie was totally into it too!

But the best was yet to come (at least for Papa).  While the kids looked on, Grandpa Bill let me operate his forwarder.  It's a big mechanical arm with a claw at the end that is used for picking up and moving around heavy things like logs and rocks and who knows what all.  SO EXCITING!!

It was sooooooo cool!!  Next time we go up, I'm going to take a bunch of giant stuffed animals and plunk them around like one of those arcade claw games! (if Grandpa Bill lets me)

The kids look a little concerned here.  Standing next to Grandpa Bill, I think it's pretty obvious to them who belongs on the forwarder and who is a tourist.

I've gotta get me one of these.

The kids were interested, but not impressed.

Then the pro took over.

And Sawyer knew he was watching the master at work.

After a short bumpy ride back to the house, we all headed to lunch.

After lunch, we had to say goodbye to Grandpa Bill and goodbye to Maine and get back on the road.  Thanks Grandpa for the great but much too short visit to the farm.  We'll be back!!

And thanks Maine for being such an amazing state with so much great stuff to see and do.  We'll be back!!!!!